Dozens of Lawsuits Against Edison Over Eaton Fire Head to Court Today for Key Hearing

Multiple lawsuits against Southern California Edison over the devastating Eaton Fire are scheduled for a case management conference today, marking an important step in litigation that alleges the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly blaze.

The 10 a.m. hearing at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles will address proceedings for numerous plaintiffs, including Jeremy Gursey, who filed one of the first suits after losing his Altadena home in January.

The fire, which began Jan. 7 in Pasadena and Altadena, killed at least 17 people and destroyed approximately 9,400 structures while damaging more than 1,000 others.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege that SCE’s equipment caused the fire. According to Gursey’s lawsuit, “at approximately 6:18 p.m., an electrical failure occurred on energized overhead power lines owned, operated, and controlled by Defendant SCE, causing an arc and/or electrical sparks that ignited susceptible ground vegetation below and resulting in the ignition of the Eaton Fire.”

Altadena residents Jennifer and Marcus Errico reportedly captured photographs of what they claim was the fire’s ignition. In statements to media, Marcus Errico said: “I saw a glow in the hillside right above our house… There are a series of transformer towers with power lines stretching up into the mountains. And at the base of one, there was just a small ring of flames around the whole base.”

Gursey’s complaint, filed Jan. 13, is among a wave of litigation that includes at least seven law firms representing homeowners.

Government entities have joined the legal fray, with the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre and Los Angeles County filing separate lawsuits seeking to recover costs associated with firefighting efforts and damage to public infrastructure.

Southern California Edison has denied responsibility.

In a statement issued on January 9, the company claimed its preliminary analysis showed “no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire’s reported start time until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire.”

On March 14, the plaintiffs’ attorneys formed a steering committee of 45 law firms to coordinate the cases. They reached an agreement with SCE’s attorneys on a protective order for discovery, signed by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Laura A. Seigle.

Today’s hearing in Department 17 is expected to address the coordination of the numerous lawsuits, discovery plans, potential pretrial motions and future case milestones.

Judge Ashfaq G. Chowdhury previously ordered SCE on Jan. 21 to preserve data, equipment and evidence related to the fire’s origins after concerns were raised that the company might destroy evidence.

For Gursey and thousands of plaintiffs who lost homes and their loved ones, the proceedings today represent the beginning of their pursuit of compensation and accountability in a case that highlights ongoing challenges faced by California utilities regarding wildfire liability.